Tray-loading mechanism



mmh j23 ,1925, 577,469

W. G. KlRCHHQFF TRAY LOADING MECHANISM Filed May 20, 1924 4 SheebSuSheet 1 W. G. KIRCHHOFF TRAY LOADING MECHANI-SM Filed May 20, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL/AM G; KlRcHHoFE Y @MQW attenua? J March 23 1926. 1,577,469

W. G. KlRcHHoFF TRAY. LOAD-'WG MECHANI SM Filed May 20. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIC-'3 i um'nl'o'b WILLIAM G. KlRcHHoFr,

.5J/toma, a

March 23 1926..

W. G. 'KRCHHor-'F TRAY LOADING MECHANI SM Filed May 20. 1,924 4 .Sheats-Shea?l 4 l IIIIIIIIIIHHF uuanfob WILLIAM G. Kme/#Hom 33 of such lingers, under the influence of gravity, into a reciprocating cup 34 disposed to the rear and below the shaft 25. The tlouring devices Q3 and 24 are adapted to flour the holder 30, the fingers 28 and the reciprocating cup The chain 14 carrjing the trays 1.7 extends forwardly from the chamber 2l, and is adapted to pass the trays below the reciprocating cup 34. The reciprocating cup has two compartments formed in it, which receive lumps of dough in alternate sequence from the fingers 28. These compartments are shown at 35 and 36. The base 37, supporting the lower forward end ofthe casing 1l, and supporting the frame 22, also supports a bracket 38 having an arm 39, secured to the forward wall 40 of the casing. The bracket 38 rev olubly supports the shaft 41 carrying sprocket 42, about which the chain 14 ezttends. A guard plate 43 carries a plate 44 of a size substantially eci-extensive with the lower end of the compartments in the reciprocating cup rl`he chain 14 is disposed substantially central to the plate 44, and

the plate is in substantialv alignment with the fingers 2S. rlhe cup 34 is reciprocated transversely to the plate 44 and when either of the compartments of the cup is disposed above the plate 44, the plate 44 forms a closure for the bottom of the compartment. The lateral movement of the cup then causes the walls of the compartment containing a lump of douOhto carry said dough beyond the edge or the plate 44, whereuponthe dough falls into one of the traysQO, which at that time is disposed below the edge of the plate. The cup 34 is reciprocated by a mechanism carried by the frame 22. i bracket 45 carries the cup 34, and is mounted on the frame 22 for transverse reciprocation. Movement is imparted to the bracket from a bell I crank lever 4G pivotally mounted at 47 upon the frame 22, and having its one arm pivotally mounted at one end of a connecting rod 48, the other end of which rod is eccentrically mounted upon the gear 49 mounted on the shaft 25. The flour dustingl mechanisms and 24 are driven from the gear 49 by any suitable means suoli as a gear 50, and suitable actuating means 51. A curved bar 52, in the nature of a spring bar has it lower edge secured to the base 87, and is adapted to be engaged by the lugs on the trays 1'?, to preclude swinging of such trays upon their pivotal mountings. An idler gear 58 is adjustable alternately about the shaft 25, to provide tension means for the chain 26, through which motion is transmitted to the revolving fingers, see Fig. Q. The trays carrying dough are moved upwardly upon the chain, and into the chamber 2l, following which the trays are moved vertically through the proofing chamber 12. At the rear end of the proofing chamber 12, the trays move about a sprocket 54 from whence they move horizontally about a sprocket 55, which is carried bythe casing 11, emerging from the chamvthis invention, will not be described in length.

ln operation, dough is received in the holder 30 from a holder or the like, and is transmitted from the h older 30, by means of the transfer lingers 2S' to one of the compartments in the cup 34. rihc cup is moved laterally, by the reciprocating action of the bell crank lever 46 driven by means of the rod 4S from the gear 4), as described above, and the dough in said con'ipartincnt is caused to be moved by the Yalls of said compartment to the edge of the plate 44 from which it drops into one of the trays Q0 on one side of the chain 14. Then one conipartment in the cup 34 is moved to a discharge position, the other compartment is moved to a receiving position, and the .latter compartment receives the next lump of dough from the fingers 28. llVhen the cup is moved in the opposite direction, the second lump of dough is discharged into the next tray 2O on the opposite side' of thc chain 14. The loading mechanism, and the gearing is so timed, that the receivingand discharge of the compartments 35 and 3G is synchronized with the movement of thc trays 17 so that one ofthe trays 1T will be disposed adjacent the plate 44, after one of the compartments in the cup 84 discharges a lump of dough, and after the cup d4, having received a lump of dough from the fin*- gers in the other compartment returns a second tray on the opposite side of the chain will come into alignment with said second compartn'ient at the time such compartment discharges its lumps of dough,

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with a chain and trays carried by the chain on opposite sides thereof in A staggered relation, of means for distributing articles to the trays comprising a recipro; eating cup, for discharging alternately in trays on opposite sides of the chain, means for reciprocating the cup, and means for directing articles into the cup.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a chain and trays carried by the opposite sides of the chain in staggered relation, of means for distributing articles to the trays and comprising a reciprocating cup having compartments therein, the compartment-s being open at their tops and bottoms, a plate extending over the chain and forming a closure for the bottom of each of the compartments, means for reciprocating the cup for closing the bottoms of the compartments in alternate sequence, and means for directing articles to the compartments when the bottoms thereof are closed.

3. In a device of the class described the combination With a chain and trays carried by the opposite sides of the chain in staggered relation, of means for distributing articles to the trays and comprising a reciprocating cup having compartments therein, the compartments being open at their tops and bottoms, a plate extending over the chain andv forming a closure for the bottom of each of the compartments, means for reciprocating the cup for closing the bottoms of the compartments in alternate sequence, and means aligned with the plate for directing articles to the plate, the parts being so related that succeeding articles directed upon the plate are received by the compartments in alternate sequence.

et. In a device of the class described the combination with a chain and trays carried by the chain in staggered relation, of a slotted holder for receiving articles, a plate mounted in alignment with the holder, a cup having compartments therein, the compartments being open at their tops and bottoms, means for reciprocating the cup over the plate whereby the plate alternately forms a closure for the bottom of the compartments, lingers operating thru the slots .in the holder for lifting articles from the holder and directing them onto the plate Within one of the compartments in the cup and means for bringing a tray in alignment with the plate when said compartment is reciprocatcd from a position over the plate to a position over said tray for moving the article from the plate to the tray.

In a device of the class described the combination with a conveyor chain and trays carried by the chain on opposite sides thereof and in staggered relation, of a plate mounted above the chain and intermediate the trays, a cup having compartments therein, the compartments being open at their tops and bottoms, means for reciprocating the cup over the plate whereby each compartment may be alternately positioned over the plate and at one side thereof above one of the trays, a holder for articles to be handled by the conveyor and means for moving Y said articles from said holder to one of the compartments over the plate, the reciprocation of the cup serving to move said articles from the compartment and plate to one of the trays.

G. In a device of the class described the combination with a conveyor having trays carried in spaced staggered relation, of a plate mounted above the conveyor and intermediate the spaced trays, a cup having compartments therein, the compartments being open at their tops and bottoms, means for reciprocating the cup for alternately moving each compartment i to a position over the plate and to a position adjacent the side of the plate, means comprising chains and sprockets for bringing a tray into vertical alignment with each compartment when said compartment is in a position adjacent the side of the plate and means for loading articles into the other compartment when said iirst mentioned compartment is in said position over the tray.

7. In a device of the class described the combination With a conveyor, of means for placing articles on the conveyor in staggered relation, said placing means comprising a reciprocating cup mounted for-movement transversely of the normal line of movement of the conveyor and for discharging` at substantially its opposite limits of reciprocation, means for reciprocating the cup, and means for depositing articles into the cup.

8. Ina device of the class described the combination with a conveyor, of a cup reciprocally mounted over the conveyor, means for reciprocating the cup transversely of the normal line of movement of the conveyor, the cup having a pair of Ways therethrough, a plate disposed over the conveyor and substantially centrally of the line of reciprocation of the cup, the plate alternately forming a closure for the bottoms of the individual Ways of the cup, and means for discharging articles into the ways when disposed above the plate.

In testimony' whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 13 day of May, 1924i.

WILLIAM G. KIRCHHOFF.

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